The business of renting and selling videotape cassettes has continuously increased over the last several years, and continues to increase. This increase in business has spurred new marketing and distribution channels, other than through conventional specialty rental stores. For example, videotape cassettes are now rented and sold in grocery stores, drug stores, and most recently through specially designed vending machines.
It is extremely important that videotape vending machines be capable of operating reliably, and without damaging the cassettes. Moreover, it is important that the cost of the machines, including maintenance costs, be maintained at a reasonable level to justify widespread use of such machines.
One type of prior art videotape vending machine stores the video tape cassettes in stationary bins arranged in array of vertically aligned, horizontal rows. A robotic arm is employed to move both vertically and horizontally to permit it to be aligned with the video tape cassettes to be rented and/or purchased. It is believed that the mechanical design of this type of system, and in particular, the mechanical design of the robotic arm, is more complex than is desirable.
Another system for dispensing videotape cassettes employs a gate associated with each bin in which a videotape cassette is stored. Selection of a desired cassette by inputting identifying information regarding the location of the cassette, actuates the gate of the bin in which the cassette is located, to permit the cassette to fall from the bin into an access area of the machine, where it can be retrieved by the renter. Cassettes dispensed in this type of machine are susceptable to being damaged or broken, as a result of permitting the cassettes to fall in an uncontrolled manner into the dispensing area from the retaining bins.
It is Applicant's belief that a need exists for an improved videotape cassette vending machine which is reliable in operation, and which is designed to prevent damage to the videotape cassette as it is being either dispensed from the machine or returned to the machine.